Hall, Gilbert Pine (1859-1932)(2 of 7)

Unidentified Photographer’s crayon portrait of Gilbert Pine Hall

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: In either 1861 or 1862, an unidentified photographer created the original tintype upon which this crayon portrait is based, and several years later, an unidentified retoucher applied the watercolor, pastel, and chalk embellishments to this enlarged reproduction. Fortunately, the original tintype is in this archive and can be viewed below. Additional information about it can be accessed using the link above.

THE SITTER:

Name: Gilbert Pine Hall

Description: In this crayon portrait, Gilbert Pine Hall, although a toddler, assumes a calm demeanor. He sits on the top of a studio prop that is covered with an embroidered cloth. With both hands, he holds an adult-sized straw hat. His dark hair has been side-parted and cut to one length just below the top of his ears. He is dressed in a dark jacket which fastens at the top and is trimmed in a plaid fabric. He also wears checkered pants and a white shirt.

Biographical Note: Gilbert Pine Hall was born on April 20, 1859, in Manchester, Missouri, the thirteenth and youngest child of Sarah Gibbons Thomas and Dr. James Henry Hall.  When he was about 11, his family moved to Petaluma, California.  Gil continued his education and graduated in 1878 from Petaluma High School in a class of six students, including Mary Louise Brown, aka Lulu Brown.  Over the next few years, Gil worked in a variety of positions.  In April 1880, he was teaching school in the San Antonio district, and two years later, he and former classmate Lulu were married by the Marin County Justice of the Peace.  The Brown parents soon arranged for Father Cleary of St. Vincent’s parish to repeat the ceremony for the couple, and the Petaluma Courier announced that “Cupid’s darts are flying fast.”

Gil Hall joined the National Guard in 1882, was appointed Postmaster of Petaluma in 1886, and in 1890 was voted in as County Auditor and Recorder.  In 1894, he was admitted to the California Bar and began practicing law in Sonoma County. Gil’s name appeared frequently in Petaluma newspapers throughout his life and many times years after his death.  He was described as eloquent, controversial, golden-tongued, unpredictable, fiery, and many more colorful terms.  Bill Soberanes, a Petaluma Argus-Courier columnist for many years, wrote frequently about Gil Hall’s courtroom tactics.  One story tells about Gil’s defense of a client charged with selling illegal whiskey during prohibition.  The evidence was in a bottle displayed in the courtroom.  Gil picked up the bottle and drank the contents.  “That’s not whiskey!” he exclaimed and won the case.  The evidence was gone.  

Gil and Mary Louise were the parents of five daughters: Aletha, Evelyn, Kathleen, Geraldine, and Dorothy.  An unnamed son died at birth in 1888.  The family lived in Petaluma for all but a few years while Gil was county recorder in Santa Rosa. Their marriage lasted just short of 50 years.  Gil and Mary Louise both died in 1932.   Gil died on January 24 and Mary Louise seven months later on August 25. Their graves are side-by-side in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Petaluma.

*This biographical note was written by Annie Alexis Ferguson Brown’s descendant, Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini.

Family Affiliation: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42046069/gilbert-pine-hall. Search this archive and the Sonoma County Library photograph archive for additional portraits of Gilbert Pine Hall and his family members.

Bibliography: Petaluma Argus-Courier: August 25, 1932, p. 3 (obit); August 27, 1932, p. 3; Sept 29, 1899, p. 1; November 2, 1927, p. 8; November 8, 1927, p. 7; January 25, 1932, p. 3; March 10, 1932, p. 5. Petaluma Courier: May 29, 1878, p. 3; August 13, 1890, p.4. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier: August 28, 1911, p. 5; December 9, 1896, p. 2; March 8, 1897, p. 2; July 31, 1897, p. 1; November 2, 1897, p.1; July 12, 1911, p.2. Petaluma Weekly Argus: May 31, 1878, p. 3; April 2, 1880, p. 3; July 23, 1889, p. 3; June 2, 1882, p. 3; October 13, 1882, p. 3. Gilbert Pine Hall was referenced numerous times after his death in articles written by Bill Soberanes. The most extensive references include: Petaluma Argus-Courier: May 13, 1966, p.9; April 26, 1967, p. 11; September 14, 1979, p. 11. For additional information and artifacts pertaining to the Hall family, see the Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini Collection at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum.

tintype portrait of gilbert pine hall, photographer unidentified, 1861 or 1862

THE PHOTOGRAPH: It is of significant note that this crayon portrait is an embellished enlarged copy of an earlier tintype dating to either 1861 or 1862. The original tintype is in this archive, and its creator is also unidentified. Additionally, this crayon portrait has a companion piece, a matching crayon portrait of Gilbert Pine Hall’s wife, Mary Louise Brown Hall. According to Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini, a descendant of Gilbert, the two crayon portraits were commissioned by Mary Louise sometime after her marriage to Gilbert in 1882.

Format / Size: Crayon portrait, 14” x 17”

Medium: A mixture of water color, pastel, and chalk applied on top of a gelatin photographic print

Description, front: The retoucher has added color and texture to this portrait using chalk, pastels, and watercolor. They have skillfully rendered the highlights of the child’s white shirt and the hat he holds. Color has also been applied to his hair, eyes, and cheeks.

tintype portrait of Gilbert Pine Hall photographed after removal from its case, photographer unidentified, 1861 or 1862 

crayon portrait of mary louise brown hall, retoucher unidentified, created sometime after 1882. original cdv by Bryan R. Johnson, c. 1865.

Description, back: The back side reveals the shadow of a shape that suggests this portrait was formerly displayed in an oval frame. A word that appears to be “Walker” is handwritten in pencil in the center. Also in the center handwritten in pencil and underlined is “14720” and beneath that appears the word “gilt”. In the top left handwritten in pencil is written, “Santa Rosa”. Handwritten in pencil under the piece of tape along the top edge is written “14 X 17”.

Description, supportive backing: On the cardboard utilized to back this portrait is handwritten in cursive in blue ink, “Gilbert Pine Hall”, “1859-1932”, “Papa in his youth —”, “K. M. Hall”

Date: The original tintype that was used to reproduce this crayon portrait was created by an unidentified photographer in either 1861 or 1862. Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini, a descendant of Gilbert Pine Hall, reported that this crayon portrait and a companion crayon portrait of Mary Louis Brown Hall (Gilbert’s wife, illustrated below) was commissioned by Mary Louise Brown Hall sometime after her marriage to Gilbert in 1882.

Condition: This crayon portrait is in very good condition.

Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, donated from the collection of Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini, 2024-998-18

Reproduction rights: The Petaluma Museum Association makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to the digitized images here reproduced.  These images are intended for personal or research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Association. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use.